Tube squaring machines include a housing with a drive assembly for axially moving a rotating drive shaft, and positioned forward of the distal end of the drive shaft is a collet for retaining the distal end of a length of cylindrical tubing. At the distal end of the rotating shaft is a retainer into which the cutting tool is inserted and is locked in position. The cutting tool has a cutting portion which must be radially aligned within the retainer so that the cutting portion of the tool will cut the metallic portions of the tube retained in the collet as the shaft rotates.
When the same machine is used to square a tubing having a second diameter, the collet for the first diameter of tubing is removed and the collet for the second diameter of tubing is inserted into the collet retainer. Thereafter, the cutting tool must be loosened within the retainer and radially adjusted so that the cutting portion of the tool is aligned to cut the metal of the second diameter of tubing.
Two factors relate to the alignment of a cutting tool in the retainer of a tube squaring machine. First, the cutting portion of the tool must be radially positioned with respect to the axis of the shaft such that it will engage the metallic portions of the tubing the end of which is to be squared. Second, the cutting tool must be squarely bottomed against the inner surfaces of the retainer so that the cutting tool will cut a planar surface on the distal end of a length of tubing retained in the collet. If the cutting tool is not squarely bottomed within the retainer, the surface cut by the cutting tool will be somewhat frustoconical, and not square as is desired.
Presently, a technician must visually inspect the position of a cutting tool within the retainer to determine that it is bottomed within the retainer, and that the cutting portion is radially positioned to engage the metal of the tubing to be squared. When the technician is satisfied that the cutting tool is properly positioned, he will tighten the set screws of the retainer to lock the cutting tool into position.